Those Without
by fakeasain56
Summary: He couldn't bend. He was worth nothing. What use was a non-bender child of the Avatar? Too bad Sokka doesn't allow that kind of thinking.


He couldn't make a breeze. He couldn't make water swirl.

It was _normal_. So completely and utterly normal. It wasn't anything worth mentioning. Plenty of people couldn't make a breeze (only two could now) and water didn't swirl or move or freeze or melt for others either.

Hear that people? My name is Bumi, I'm the son of _The AVATAR_, named after one of the most powerful earth benders: I'm worth _nothing_.

The ten-year-old kicked the ground, watching a pebble skitter away. He sniffled softly, wiping away the beginnings of tears. _I can't bend. I can't bend. I can't bend. I can't **bend**. My older sister is going to be a fantastic water bender, and my little brother is going to be the next air nomad and I'm nothing._

It wasn't fair! Out of all the cruel tricks the spirits could've played on him, they had to pick the worst of the lot, by not giving him bending. What kind of cruel life was he given to be the only non-bender out of a family of amazing benders?

"IT ISN'T FAIR!" Bumi screamed out the words uselessly to the world as he stood in the middle of the islands secluded area, content in the fact that he was completely alone. Mom and Kya would be waterbending, and Dad and _Tenzin_ were off _airbending_.

"Whoa there kiddo. What's not fair? I have to tell you I totally saved you fire-flakes."

A hot blush crawled up Bumi's cheeks as he recognized the voice. Uncle Sokka.

The tall man emerged from the surrounding forest, brushing a few leaves off the thick clothing. He clearly had just come from the South Pole- his thick winter parka was bundled under one arm, resting awkwardly against the sword sheathed there.

"Uncle Sokka. I didn't know you were coming up here."

His uncle grinned at that. "I didn't know until just recently myself. A bunch of water benders- or spirits- have been causing trouble back at the poles so I came on up to get Aang to come on down and tell them to knock it off before I melt all the igloos."

Bumi smiled half-heartedly, pointing a finger back the way he had come. "Daddy's that way. With Tenzin."

He turned away, fully expecting to be forgotten. Why would anyone remember the normal person?

"Think you can show me the way kiddo? You don't get out of talking to your favorite uncle that easily."

"You're not my favorite uncle." Bumi snarled back immediately, storming further off into the woods. Uncle Sokka stared after him for a moment, before chasing after him, with a big grin.

"Someone's a little grumpy-pants. What's the matter? Got fire ants down your pants?" A warm hand tousled his hair. Despite himself, Bumi could feel a smile cracking his face.

Uncle Sokka was _fun_. He wasn't mommy, always making sure he had no fun, or daddy always spouting off really weird stuff he didn't understand. Uncle Sokka told the coolest stories. Plus he- he was a nonbender.

Bumi turned a scrunched up, puzzled ten-year-old face towards the self-proclaimed 'best uncle'. Uncle Sokka had always been in the stories right with Daddy, Mommy, Uncle Zuko and Auntie Toph. "You're not a bender." It came out faintly accusing. "You're not a bender."

An equally puzzled look crossed Uncle's face, as if he had never considered it before. "Nope, not a bender. That mystic mumbo-jumbo was never for me anyways."

"But you traveled with Daddy when he defeated the evil firelord, right? But you're not a bender!" It came out in a confused, mumbled mess of words. _How can you keep up with them. Aren't you jealous? I'm jealous. I want to be able to bend. I want to bend. I want to bend. **I want mommy and daddy to be as proud of me as they are of my siblings.**_

Uncle Sokka grinned, "That's right, I'm so awesome, I don't need bending!"

Bumi's mouth dropped open. He hadn't- he hadn't considered it like that. "But- But I thought benders were more powerful then non-benders."

Uncle Sokka snorted, throwing an arm around his young nephew. "Nonsense! You see, I've figured it's the way of the universe trying to make it up _too _the Benders."

"Huh?"

"You see Bumi, the thing is, us non-benders are just so awesome, just so cool, that the universe realized that they had to even the scales a little for all of the other people, so they gave them bending."

Bumi… was pretty sure that wasn't how the universe worked. But Uncle Sokka was contagious.

"Besides, it's us who are the ones who'll change the world in the end. Even the benders use non-bender technology. Who do you think invented the blimp, or made it safer for miners to dig? Plus, who took out Combustion Man? I did! With my trusty boomerang." Sokka reached back to pat the curved metal secure on his back. "You can't replicate that kind of success with bending."

"I-I guess you're right." Uncle Sokka had handled himself just fine with not being able to bend. "But I'm not-"

"You kiddo-" Sokka instantly overrode him, voice rising above any objections, "Are smart. And you know what- a bender can't defeat something they can't block, or don't see coming. You have to be smart, sneaky, and strike when they least expect it, and can't pin the blame on you. Like dumping a bunch of fire ants into their bed and claiming innocence when they ask if it was you."

Bumi giggled instantly, cheered up by the prospect. Sokka looked to the sky, murmuring so lowly that Bumi couldn't hear him, "Take them out before they can hurt what's yours…"

Abruptly his grin kicked up another notch as he refocused on the kid. "Bumi, whatever you do, don't stop thinking, got it? As a non-bender, that's your most important weapon. Just how creative you can be."

"Uncle Sokka, Uncle Sokka, while you're here, can you help me plan a few attacks on Kya?" Huge pleading eyes stared up at Bumi- Sokka grinned as he tousled his hair.

"You got it! I! You're awesome, amazing, spectacular Uncle Sokka will teach you all you need to know about how to the coolest, awesomest person ever! I'll even teach you how to use a boomerang!"

* * *

Katara fussed over the table, shooting concerned glances out of the corner of her eye. Sokka and Bumi hadn't returned yet. She knew Bumi had been depressed recently, hurting that nobody was willing to spend some time with him, so when Sokka had popped up, she'd asked him to talk to Bumi. Sokka, complaining loudly, vanished in the direction that she pointed... And they hadn't returned since then.

Aang floated into the room, carrying Tenzin in one arm, the other hand making marbles spin. Tenzin groped for the marbles, eyes alight with curiosity. "Calm down sweetie."

"I know, I just hope that Bumi cheers up. It's got to be hard, being a non-bender."

Aang laughed, "Sokka certainly doesn't treat it as something to be ashamed of, and neither should Bumi."

"I know, I know." Katara waved a hand, before straightening with a jerk as a familiar form slowly appeared on the path. And there, on his shoulders, playing with the familiar blue boomerang that Sokka had since the very beginning, was Bumi.

Her second child was smiling and laughing. Sokka waved a hand in the air, "That's right! There should be a club! Only non-benders are allowed!"

"Sokka, food!"

"MEEEEEAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT!" Sokka charged up the pathway, drooling at the sight of the food laid before him, "You see this is one really good thing about not being a wimpy air bender like your dad- you get to eat meat!"

Aang scowled at Sokka, as the Southern Tribesman and his son plopped down in front of the meal. "Eat as much as you can Bumi! Meat is what smarts are founded upon!"

Bumi nodded, grinning wildly, as the two of them accepted their food and dug in with gusto.

Katara got a feeling of foreboding; Bumi was going to be just like his uncle... May he take mercy on the world.

-end-


End file.
